The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.
The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea,
speaks to me.
The faintness of the stars,
the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrop on the flower,
speaks to me.
The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never goes away,
they speak to me
And my heart soars.
-- Chief Dan George, from Earth Prayers (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991)
* * * * *
Fall foliage time is mostly over now, with many trees now barren in the mountain areas (some trees in “the lowlands”, including NYC, have yet to lose their leaves).
There’s no doubt that the annual color show can be an amazing, awesome sight. And there’s a lot more in the natural world that can inspire awe in any season.
The word “awesome” has been overused and misused for a number of years now. It’s now often popularly applied to almost anything that’s the least bit appealing.
But how about “authentic awe?” How about when a sight or experience stops us in our tracks? When we feel like we’re in the presence of something truly wonderful?
Has that happened to you lately? For some of us it’s quite a rarity. It’s all too easy to become jaded or oblivious to life’s wonders, including those found in nature.
One way we can potentially begin to re-awaken awe and experience it more often is to spend time regularly in the natural world. Hiking, anyone?
Then once-special words that express amazement -- like breathtaking, stunning, or awesome -- could start to mean something to us again. Cynics probably won’t understand, or may suggest that we’re naïve. But if you’ve ever experienced awe or wonder, you know better.
-- Charlie Cook
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